I would rate the first part of the game below average, That part is set on a space ship, and this is where you encounter human enemies besides aliens. The main problem of the game is the DUMB AI. This ruins the fight with human enemies, but ultimately ruins every part of the game where you are teamed up with human npcs. Team mates get stuck frequently, they are left behind, stay in frontI would rate the first part of the game below average, That part is set on a space ship, and this is where you encounter human enemies besides aliens. The main problem of the game is the DUMB AI. This ruins the fight with human enemies, but ultimately ruins every part of the game where you are teamed up with human npcs. Team mates get stuck frequently, they are left behind, stay in front of you at the wrong times (basically they are useless and annoying...I would rather go alone, than with a marine that is not good for anything...). The second part is set on LV-426 (Aliens took place here). I would rate this part of A:CM average, with some better than average parts. It was fun to encounter the sets of Aliens (especially if you love the universe of the movies). Here the game focuses on the aliens. There is also a mission where you need to rely on stealth (it was a highlight of the game, with creepy lighting and sounds). There are some tense moment in the game, but I never felt scared (There were some intense moments, but I felt the game is lacking tension). The movement of the enemies felt clunchy. This is probably due to the small and closed spaces where most encounters with aliens took place. Many time they are spawned behind the player or just running around. Weapon customisation was a nice addition. The story is average, while characters are very "two dimensional" (with many cheesy dialogues....). Overall the game felt like a generic shooter, set in the Aliens universe, which would deserve a better game than Aliens: Colonial Marines.…Expand

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view.
It is unbelievable that people are rating this game a 9 or 10 it blows my mind don't listen to them im sure the majority of them pre-ordered, unfortunate they are making it worse for us all letting the industry get away with this crap, so shame on them. This is just not a very good game.

The story is just bad and i refuse to acknowledge it as cannon. For one it fails to explain major plot holes, and don't even get me started on the ending. A marine from the first movie survives??? what were these guys smoking when they came up with that. Any true alien fan would be disappointing with this game and I believe we expect a certain amount of quality to be involved when it comes to this beloved franchise. Yes expectations where high and rightfully so. The sound is great, love the sound effects like the pulse rifle and others such as aliens dying. The AI is bad and ruined the immersion for me on more than one occasion. For instance aliens standing in front of my AI squad mate for seconds attempting to kill him or navigating around him to get to me or like on most occasions my squad mate just firing his smart gun for long periods of time doing absolutely nothing. The graphics are bad which is something that caught me off guard. textures are terrible and character animation is amateur. the lighting ,one of the most important features in anything alien is mediocre which is extremely disappointing. i could go on but you get the idea just not much of a game here multilayer is better but doesn't make up for the terrible campaign.…Expand

There is a lot of hype against this game and I totally understand it people were promised a lot for their money and it was not delivered. But is A:CM really that bad?

I play games since c64, my favorite genre is FPS. I think I played like 80% of FPS games out there. I am also big fan of Aliens and generally sci-fi stuff. I played the latest, patched version.
I have to agree thatThere is a lot of hype against this game and I totally understand it people were promised a lot for their money and it was not delivered. But is A:CM really that bad?

I play games since c64, my favorite genre is FPS. I think I played like 80% of FPS games out there. I am also big fan of Aliens and generally sci-fi stuff. I played the latest, patched version.

I have to agree that game graphics is not as good as other latest AAA games. But I cannot say visuals are bad. A little bit outdated yes. Bad? Not at all. I would say graphic is good enough to have this special atmosphere of Aliens move together with sound it made me jump few times. I dont agree that pre scripted aliens are not scary and behave weird they do what they are supposed to do: they crawl the ceilings and walls and they quickly advance at the player (often by jumping) this is what xenomorphs do.
On hardened difficulty setting you can get killed easily it is not that easy to kill xeno on the wall.

NPC AI is ok, not as good as in CoD or BF but acceptable they shoot things and can draw enemy attention to themselves. but I wouldnt count on them to do your job in the heat of the battle. another thing is that xenos will attack YOU if your soldiers are already attacked by their comrades. In game you will meet enemy human soldiers as well. They are not too hard to kill and act OK. Nothing special but not bad at all.

I wouldnt spend £30 to buy this game, but I got it on Steam offer for £3. At this price it is really good game and all you Aliens fans will love it …Expand

Well, since there are lots of negative reviews already I have to add some positive things that I noticed.
During presentations I wasn't stunned by the level of graphics, so I didn't expect much. The visual part will not make a gamer happy who has spent time playing Battlefield 3 or Crysis 2. But yet it gave enough detalisation so you could imagine yourself being away on a deserted planet.Well, since there are lots of negative reviews already I have to add some positive things that I noticed.
During presentations I wasn't stunned by the level of graphics, so I didn't expect much. The visual part will not make a gamer happy who has spent time playing Battlefield 3 or Crysis 2. But yet it gave enough detalisation so you could imagine yourself being away on a deserted planet. Face animations have no 'life', still I don't think it's a big problem.
Sound effects is important part for a game in a universe of Aliens. It seems that music and sound is not what is usually discussed in reviews, but when these elements are done badly you can't miss such flaws. Using rifles made me want to skip all shooting sections. It is sound that ruined 'feeling' of a weapon. Too bad, because the design of weapons was not that bad.
The design of levels is poor, 4 gamers on a level would feel lack of space. Despite the fact that it usually took me around 20-30 minutes to complete a level, everything that you keep in mind after completing one was running, shooting, running, loading.
There was only one time when I was in a team of 4 players. Thing is that I started playing two weeks after the game's release date. By that time everyone stopped playing the game. Absence of server browser made me watch searching for other players for tenth of minutes before I had to go into singleplayer journey.
The worst thing that made me angry was the storyline. Idea of connecting characters from original 'Aliens' movie with the ones in the game was horrible and had no logic.
But I have to say that the competitive multiplayer was good. Maps and different classes is the strongest part of the game. It is far away from the gameplay that we have in 'Left 4 Dead', but it is worth playing.
I'm sorry for those who bought season's pass in advance for the game that disapoints starting from the menu. Finally I have to say, that expectations for the game were too high and I'm 100% sure that the year's biggest fail has already arrived.…Expand

This is a last generation game that tries to use basic tools to create an experience worthy of the alien franchise. Game technology has moved on, so it falls short of expectations. However, it makes what I feel to be a very strong attempt at putting the gamer in the position of a marine living the Alien storyline.

In detail, the story is strong, placing the gamer in all the environmentsThis is a last generation game that tries to use basic tools to create an experience worthy of the alien franchise. Game technology has moved on, so it falls short of expectations. However, it makes what I feel to be a very strong attempt at putting the gamer in the position of a marine living the Alien storyline.

In detail, the story is strong, placing the gamer in all the environments of the alien story, although no new ones. Close knit corridors, spacecraft and rocky planet surfaces. The enemies you face are varied both in type and species, meaning that combat is mixed up nicely. You also progress with a set of likeable comrades, which prevents the game becoming 'lonely'.

However, as a game coming out close to 'crysis'. It really doesn't match up. The graphics are average and the AI is pretty weak, especially for allies that occasionally get lost.

I enjoyed this game, but it suffers from a poor technological footing and the resulting failure to meet expectations.…Expand

Aliens: Colonial Marines
A hollow shooter
In Aliens: Colonial Marines you play as one of the colonial marines on a rescue mission…
And you go through the same recycled locations for 6 hours, shooting spongey alien creatures and humans…
This is hands down the most boring first person shooter I’ve ever played…
I spent the entire game waiting for it to intrigue or excite me.. But itAliens: Colonial Marines
A hollow shooter
In Aliens: Colonial Marines you play as one of the colonial marines on a rescue mission…
And you go through the same recycled locations for 6 hours, shooting spongey alien creatures and humans…
This is hands down the most boring first person shooter I’ve ever played…
I spent the entire game waiting for it to intrigue or excite me.. But it never came...
Its generic feeling from start to finish…
You get a few moments outside of a ship, but for the most part you’re in doors in areas that all look identical from each other…
You have a scanner that goes off when enemies are near and you can also use this scanner to give you an idea where to go to next.. And again... everything is recycled and looks the same... you’ll need it…
You have a great variety of weapons you can switch freely and upgrade as you level up by collecting items and completing challenges in the game…
But shooting feels hollow…
There’s no feeling of true hit detection here… spongey enemies…
Satisfaction is completely missing from the gameplay…
So what’s left.. Why play this game?
The only reason to really play this is if you’re an Aliens fan and need the lore…
There’s a queen alien involved... face huggers… and intriguing struggle within the story…
But not intriguing enough for someone not a fan of the aliens franchise to justify checking out…
There’s the ability to play co-op with 4 players as well as an online mode.. but it’s hard to find matches outside of the standard team death match…
The multiplayer is miles more fun than the single players as its aliens vs marines…
and you switch sides…
I feel the aliens are a bit more powerful than the marines… but not enough that I had any issues killing them…
But on the aliens side kills are way easier…
And of course at the time of this review this game is about 4 years old.. the community is dying and in no way justifies picking this game up on its own like a call of duty multiplayer mode would…
Colonial Marines is a dud…
It’s for the fans and no one else.. And even then it’s an insult…
I Give Aliens: Colonial Marines
a 5.5/10…Expand

Aliens: Colonial Marines is a sign of what the gaming industry has degraded to: pure utter Not only does this so-called 'sequel' to Aliens takes a big piece of dump on the Alien film canon, it also demonstrates how deceitful the industry can be and how easily it is for gamers to fall for its web of lies. Not only does A:CM not have any of the graphical power seen in the 2011 E3 demo norAliens: Colonial Marines is a sign of what the gaming industry has degraded to: pure utter Not only does this so-called 'sequel' to Aliens takes a big piece of dump on the Alien film canon, it also demonstrates how deceitful the industry can be and how easily it is for gamers to fall for its web of lies. Not only does A:CM not have any of the graphical power seen in the 2011 E3 demo nor the interesting level designs, the entire game is essentially half broken. Enemy AI is ludicrously dumb and glitchy, the friendly AI is almost broken with some of the worst pathfinding Ive seen in literally years. The plot itself starts off well and actually has some interesting aspects to it throughout the middle but after a few levels, it just falls to pieces, as if they ran out of time and had to add in a horrible, poor-executed climax and conclusion. For fans of the franchise, you will be hooked by its generic xeno-killing gameplay but this excitement only lasts as long as your love for using the Pulse Rifle. There's a wide range of weapons but in all honesty, you'll probably only use 2-3 of them. Thankfully, the Smart-Gun and Pulse Rifles have been well designed and executed with their familiar sounds and impact (though the recoil for the Pulse Rifle is a big ridiculous). Another positive is the inclusion of legendary guns from the second film including Vasquez's Smartgun, Hudon's Pulse Rifle, Norman's Pistol etc. The NPC's you meet are generic as hell and have the worst lines (though the voice-acting is solid). The game cutscenes are poorly rendered and overall, the engine has a 2005 look with excessive lighting and poor textures. Multiplayer-wise, it holds up well but ultimately, compared Natural Selection 2, its inferior. Co-op just feels tacted on and is fun for a few levels for at the end of the day, its probably one of the worst implemented with player warping and a lack of Co-op features. Aliens: Colonial Marines is a total letdown and my biggest disappointment of a game since Mass Effect 3 last year. They have recently released a new patch that does enhance the AI and graphics as well as a solid Bug Hunt DLC but all in all its like adding extra icing and fresh seasoning to a chocolate cake gone bad: too little, too late. Unless you're a big Aliens nut like myself, than avoid A:CM at all costs. Its Game Over all right. Game Over.…Expand

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view.
A game that had a lot of potential, but ended up terribly. Blame the casual players! This game was supposed to be an awesome survival experience, but to make the game more accessible to a larger public, the incompetent directors of Sega and Gearbox decided to make it a Call of Duty clone. You don't even need to use the motion tracker one single moment on the entire campaign even on the hardest difficulty, because no enemy will ever spawn behind you. But if you can go through the festival of bugs, and the awful ending, you will able to enjoy a somewhat fun shooter with an actually good soundtrack.…Expand

An average FPS, all the fun is due to the fact that you can enjoy the nice working radar and the good old pulse rifle.
If you close your eyes you will feel like you're really into one of the Alien movies, but when reopening them you will be really disappointed by the stupid A.I., the poor storytelling and the bad presentation.
Gameplay would be fun if not affected by all those bugs, theAn average FPS, all the fun is due to the fact that you can enjoy the nice working radar and the good old pulse rifle.
If you close your eyes you will feel like you're really into one of the Alien movies, but when reopening them you will be really disappointed by the stupid A.I., the poor storytelling and the bad presentation.
Gameplay would be fun if not affected by all those bugs, the enemies act like they're animals, the strategy that you expect from the creatures just does not exist in this game, the human enemies will randomly leave covering position and your fellow soldiers are more a pain in the ass than an aid (the worst thing is that most of the issues could be corrected by a proper debug phase).
Graphics are 6.5/10, but the use of lights and shadows is light years far from the 1977 masterpiece and some of textures are so much low res for a 2013 game.
Sound is good in complex, but some audio effects are missing and the music is simply trivial.
The weapons upgrade system is nice and the unlockable add-ons are well distributed.
In conclusion, if you are an Alien fan that can close one eye (or two), you will enjoy shooting some xenomorphs.
Otherwise just run away without looking back.…Expand

Played it for 3 hours in 4 people coop mode on Ultimate Badass. 6 11 missions accomplished. What can I say? What I like:

- 4 people coop makes game a lot better. While not perfect, you have sort of cooperation and tactic while killing stuff.
- Sounds and music are not bad at all. Weapons, well-timed music and big booms are all there.
- Weapons. While there are basically 3 categoriesPlayed it for 3 hours in 4 people coop mode on Ultimate Badass. 6 11 missions accomplished. What can I say? What I like:

- 4 people coop makes game a lot better. While not perfect, you have sort of cooperation and tactic while killing stuff.
- Sounds and music are not bad at all. Weapons, well-timed music and big booms are all there.
- Weapons. While there are basically 3 categories (rifles, shotguns and pistols), all of them have their own style and feel.

What I didn't like:

- Story. Story is meaningless. It doesn't make you care about key figures. Who was that guy over the radio? Who cares, let's move, aliens won't kill themselves.
- Aliens and enemy soldiers AI. Well, nothing much to say here they are just plain stupid. The only way they can attack you is by jumping straight at you. Oh, they can also just stand and watch you killing them (or just running around waving their claws). And yes, they die A LOT. Packs and packs run at you and you just shoot them in the face. No challenge. Easy as that.
- Level design is lackluster. Corridors over corridors, watered with boring cut-scenes, where developers try to make you care about characters around you. Nothing spectacular here, at least so far.
- Almost no challenge. Yes, we died several times during these 6 missions only because we were running straight ahead almost all the time, shooting stuff without any problems (I did check our difficulty level twice I still can't believe it is so easy to play on the Ultimate Badass), but nothing really challenging. Aliens die in a matter of seconds, almost without any effort from our part.

As it was said before, game feels like another generic FPS. There is nothing special about this title whatsoever. Is it fun? If you play it not alone maybe, but I can't imagine playing it myself all alone (I did finish 2 missions alone, by the way). And yes, graphic is not that terrible. Of course it is quite outdated, but not that bad as many people state. While not at Far Cry or Crysis level, it doesn't make you puke either.

I really like the Alien films but it did not make me more fond of the game. When I play deathmatch in multiplayers it was great fun so 37 hours before uninstalling when you meet original kamapnjen after 8 hours so you can say it was worth the money.

Generally a disappointment, the Aliens atmosphere is there with the sound and lighting effects but the AI is really poor and this really effects the gun play. The weapons are good, each has a role to play and the customization is pretty good allowing you to change the guns to fit your play style.

Overall its worth a rental or if you can pick it up cheaply but I doubt many people wouldGenerally a disappointment, the Aliens atmosphere is there with the sound and lighting effects but the AI is really poor and this really effects the gun play. The weapons are good, each has a role to play and the customization is pretty good allowing you to change the guns to fit your play style.

Overall its worth a rental or if you can pick it up cheaply but I doubt many people would be happy paying the full retail price for this game.…Expand

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view.
After playing for a few hours I've already kind of lost interest in the game entirely. I was really excited for this game because I loved the original movies, but this game is pretty disappointing. The visuals are rather outdated, which isn't a deal breaker for me at all, but some of the textures in this game are laughably low resolution. One think I really noticed was how the characters look slightly cartoonish. It almost reminds me of the Jurassic Park video game by Telltale; in regards to the visual style the characters are given. It isn't as pronounced as Telltale's style, but it's still noticeable. The game doesn't have much of a budget for poly count. A lot of models rely almost entirely on textures for intricate details (and do it poorly). Levels tend to have block syndrome as well. As far as the environment art goes, they nailed the old Aliens look pretty well.

The pacing of the story is awkward at times. Missions and cut scenes tend to start and end abruptly. There was one point in the game where I was on the bridge of a space ship and my crew and I watch helplessly as our ship explodes. We stand perfectly still, unaffected by the blast. Then the mission ends suddenly and at the start of the next mission, we're all lying on the floor of the bridge as if the blast had violently shaken the ship we were on, knocking us all off our feet. Very awkward moment. It's not a HUGE deal, but it's amazing how they overlooked this. There's more of it throughout the campaign. There's even a few glaring issues with the core gameplay. Some sites on weapons don't seem centered. Hit detection also seems off at times, especially around cover. If an enemy is behind cover but you can still see a little bit of their body sticking out, it's nearly impossible to hit them. But whenever you take cover, you frequently get hit by random bullets every few seconds. To top it all off, AI is pretty wonky in this game. Your companions CONSTANTLY walk in front of you as you're firing. I blew myself up at least 6 times because one of my allies walked in front of me RIGHT when I decided to fire a shell from my under-barrel grenade launcher. Very frustrating to say the least. This game had a lot of potential and you can even see it when playing, but it just falls completely flat on its face.…Expand

This is the first time I have beaten a $50 dollar game in less than 20 hours. Even though the game is relatively easy (even for old guys like me), I still found it to be entertaining. My biggest critiques are: (1) too much down time between fights, even though cut scenes didn't interfere too much. (2) rather dim graphics (3) number of radio calls from the normally absentee players whoThis is the first time I have beaten a $50 dollar game in less than 20 hours. Even though the game is relatively easy (even for old guys like me), I still found it to be entertaining. My biggest critiques are: (1) too much down time between fights, even though cut scenes didn't interfere too much. (2) rather dim graphics (3) number of radio calls from the normally absentee players who always seem to be waiting for the protagonist to show up (4) highly forgettable plot; I can't even remember the hero's name.…Expand

Thus far i've put around 7 hours into this game and like many others i'm very disappointed. I don't think it deserves all of the 1s and zeros it has here but it is definitely not worth the 50 dollars I spent. Imo this is at best a 30 dollar title IF you're a diehard fan of the franchise. The AI is obviously its biggest flaw, some human enemies will literally stand there indefinitely whileThus far i've put around 7 hours into this game and like many others i'm very disappointed. I don't think it deserves all of the 1s and zeros it has here but it is definitely not worth the 50 dollars I spent. Imo this is at best a 30 dollar title IF you're a diehard fan of the franchise. The AI is obviously its biggest flaw, some human enemies will literally stand there indefinitely while I stare at them and the xenos don't do a whole lot other than charge directly at you or in the case of the spitters come to a dead stop while spitting long enough for you to kill them without any challenge. The graphics aren't as bad as some people are saying, they are just dated. They would stand out in 2009 probably. On the plus side I think it has some of the best sound effects in recent memory, at least with a 7.1 headset on. I also actually like the story as well as the pacing although I wish they'd have added more areas where you can't fire or rely on your weapons. This game isn't worth $50 and it may be Gearbox's lowest point thus far, but it doesn't deserve a 1 or 0, I think that is just spite and some people default to those scores automatically without thinking about it or in some cases without even playing the game they are reviewing.…Expand

What's worse? A bad game or a disappointment? How about both? How about both and using the Aliens franchise? Gearbox does it again-this game elicits the same feelings I had when I played Duke Nukem Forever. Do yourself a favor and stay away from Gearbox software. Far away.

I would give the game a 4.75 but im rounding up, The game is disappointing, has some decent moments but is muddled down by terrible AI, stiff animations, and odd texture pop ins and lack of detail. not to mention the shooting is not really the best, and there is a lack of tension. This is just a shooting gallery with xenos.

Aliens: Colonial Marines is a bit of a mixed bag, First off the campaign is just horrible and i found myself when playing on Hardened difficulty, i could just run through some of the levels. But some of the fan service throughout the campaign is pretty cool especially for Aliens fans such as myself. Finally the Multiplayer i found was surprisingly good. Being able to run around asAliens: Colonial Marines is a bit of a mixed bag, First off the campaign is just horrible and i found myself when playing on Hardened difficulty, i could just run through some of the levels. But some of the fan service throughout the campaign is pretty cool especially for Aliens fans such as myself. Finally the Multiplayer i found was surprisingly good. Being able to run around as xenomorphs is absolute fun. Overall, Aliens: Colonial Marines is an average game and didn't really live up to the hype 6/10…Expand

I looked forward to this game for quite a long time. As cliche as it is, I was a huge fan of Aliens since I was a kid, and I've always thought it would be great to have a quality game set in the universe in which you get to assume the role of a Colonial Marine. Anyways, this game really does nothing for the Aliens universe. The story has a lot of flaws. If this weren't hyped a canonicalI looked forward to this game for quite a long time. As cliche as it is, I was a huge fan of Aliens since I was a kid, and I've always thought it would be great to have a quality game set in the universe in which you get to assume the role of a Colonial Marine. Anyways, this game really does nothing for the Aliens universe. The story has a lot of flaws. If this weren't hyped a canonical sequel to a movie I held so dear, I probably wouldn't care. I didn't care at all about any of the AvP stories, I just enjoyed the games for their multiplayer game play. But again, this game was advertized and hyped as being some awesome canonical sequel but falls completely flat...

The fact that the USCM and Weyland-Yutani Corporation "go to war" is ridiculous, as the company essentially owns the Marine Corp (as well as everything else in the galaxy) in the first place. I guess they just needed an excuse to have you shooting at other people alongside the aliens. The campaign took me only roughly 6-8 hours to complete on "Hardened" difficulty, and had one of the worst endings I have ever had the displeasure of experiencing in a video game. So much for the epic canonical sequel...

The multiplayer on the other hand, is pretty fun. If you really like the idea of running around shooting Giger aliens and/or hunting marines (without predators of course), then you'll probably enjoy that aspect of the game. Despite its entertainment value, it does need some work as sometimes the aliens feel very clunky despite their speed, strength, and maneuverability. Furthermore, it also seems like an alien can charge directly at you, and manage to kill you somehow despite the fact that you've been spraying it with an automatic weapon for its entire charge. Then again, maybe I just suck at the game ;)

All in all, I'd give the single player a 5/10. It's story, AI, and boss fights are absolute garbage (IN MY OPINION), BUT they do recreate with an intense attention to detail many of the areas from the Aliens films. The operations center is pretty much in the exact same shape the marines from the movie left it in. The floor panel that Hudson was pulled through can be seen exactly where it happened in the movie. The smart gun ammo counters are still reading "00" and "04," the exact amount of ammo remaining in them from the director's cut of the film. The ventilation shaft the survivors escaped through can be found with the vent lying next to the wall. Although I did notice after watching the E3 demo that although in the demo the door that had been sealed and subsequently breached by the aliens was busted open, in the released product the door was still sealed shut, even though aliens had bashed through it in the film. This is an absolutely trivial detail, however, and certainly does not detract from the game in any way. They also recreated the derelict space craft from the first movie nicely, allowing the player to encounter the space jockey (engineer) in its seat with its chest burst open. Finally, I definitely think they did a great job of recreating the sound effects of the weapons from the film. The pulse rifle also had a truly authentic feel as it actually...pulsed...unlike the weapon's portrayal in AvP and previous Aliens titles.

Multiplayer, since AI does not control the aliens, is significantly better. I'd give it a 7/10. It's entertaining, and if you like the Aliens universe it will only add to the fun. Hopefully they add new game types, new maps, and various tweaks without charging for all of it...but that probably won't happen.

I am disappointed overall because I expected more from the title, but I think most reviews are extremely harsh and tend to ignore any and all of the good aspects of the game. That, or they acknowledge them but still give the game a 1/10.…Expand

I totally LOVE the Alien movies, and I think this game will recive a open heart from us. For the rest of you guys that Isn´t that in to the movies, I´m sure you will find a hard time with it. Sure, they got some stuff they could have tweeked here and there, bit I´m enjoying it, and that´s what counts.

Short review; If you want a generic run n' gun game that just happens to be set in the aliens universe, then this is the game for you. If you however want a suspensful scary gloomy game that will bring you back to Aliens (the first movie) fear levels Then this is not the game for you. PC graphics, while not stellar, is survivable. Gearbox has paid attention to detail when it comes toShort review; If you want a generic run n' gun game that just happens to be set in the aliens universe, then this is the game for you. If you however want a suspensful scary gloomy game that will bring you back to Aliens (the first movie) fear levels Then this is not the game for you. PC graphics, while not stellar, is survivable. Gearbox has paid attention to detail when it comes to recreating Hadleys Hope as it was in the movie, but everything else is lackluster, 5/10 from me.…Expand

Oh how I wanted to love this game. The campaign for the most part is a soulless, standard FPS with wildly inaccurate guns which make trying to kill mercenaries in cover a chore. The low res textures make the game look dated, attempts are generating atmosphere are a bit hit and miss, the dialogue is nothing special, and the multi-player is a guilty pleasure, but I got to the point where allOh how I wanted to love this game. The campaign for the most part is a soulless, standard FPS with wildly inaccurate guns which make trying to kill mercenaries in cover a chore. The low res textures make the game look dated, attempts are generating atmosphere are a bit hit and miss, the dialogue is nothing special, and the multi-player is a guilty pleasure, but I got to the point where all I wanted to do was play the xenomorphs and got bored whenever I was forced to play as the marines. Leaping around the arenas and crawling across ceilings and walls is mighty good fun, but often the game can't understand exactly what you're doing due to the complex nature of the terrain and your character will start doing donuts a wall or something. At least I managed to pick it up fairly cheap. Meh.…Expand

A fun game I enjoyed my time with it and the coop is solid however the inescapable fact is that the campaign was only 3-4 hours long which is just unacceptable from a full price game. I do not pay £40 for a well dressed up teaser trailer for DLC it's a despicable trend and is utterly pathetic.

It's sad when a beloved franchises gets the "EA" treatment. I might be embellishing a bit, but it's understandable since i used to be a fan. The game is, for lack of a better word, "MEH". I didn't get to play much since i did so at a friend's house, but what i did get to play kind of left me wanting. What the hell was i playing? It certainly didn't feel like an "Aliens" game. SomewhatIt's sad when a beloved franchises gets the "EA" treatment. I might be embellishing a bit, but it's understandable since i used to be a fan. The game is, for lack of a better word, "MEH". I didn't get to play much since i did so at a friend's house, but what i did get to play kind of left me wanting. What the hell was i playing? It certainly didn't feel like an "Aliens" game. Somewhat Clunky and Heavily scripted, the purpose of which, i'm guessing, is inspiring suspense, but it doesn't really matter because it fails to do so in any other way except for those moments of eerie silence when you're walking alone And those are nothing new. Outside of excluding the Predators as a playable race, and adding some menial reward mechanisms you see in EVERY OTHER FPS out there, i don't see how this can be viewed as anything other than a dumbed-down AVP3 clone. The optimization itself seems to be horrendous, as the already non-stellar gameplay suffered almost omnipresent lag spikes. IN SINGLE PLAYER. How the hell does that happen? This might be a huge issue with paying customers, since some of them coughed up quite a sum by pre-ordering. One other thing that seems to follow every game of late like the plague, is the over-dramatization of already "dramatic" events. I don't understand what the issue is there, and why does it happen so often, but it sucks to see marines acting as if this is some Aliens soap opera. How, in their right mind, would anyone take this game seriously after that fact is beyond me. I should have known, after seeing Randy Pitchford's smug little face on the trailers, that this game is going to bomb. The AI is pathetic. I've seen better enemy reactions in Wolfenstein. I give it a 5 out of sheer devotion to the franchise, nothing else. If this was any other generic fps, it wouldn't even sell at the bargain bin. My advice is, play something else. Until it gets a couple of well-deserved patches, you should forget that this "thing" even exists.…Expand

My collectors edition arrived today when i opened box i was happy. Collectors edition looks very nice but when i installed the game... I started playng with friend and from the begining i had problem is black screen (bug) i sorted out using forum. When we was playng for few hours i decided this game looks boring for me all the time waves of aliens incoming you just shoots them, balisticMy collectors edition arrived today when i opened box i was happy. Collectors edition looks very nice but when i installed the game... I started playng with friend and from the begining i had problem is black screen (bug) i sorted out using forum. When we was playng for few hours i decided this game looks boring for me all the time waves of aliens incoming you just shoots them, balistic looks like in COD very close to it and i didnt like it. I used max setting on video but graphic looks like 4 years old comepletly horrible comparing to new games. I didnt try multiplayer atm but what i can say i expected much more from gearbox. Borderlands series is awsome but making aliens and stoping project then continue again.... in my opinion this project isnt finished yet. They also should add more staff or items better costumization. This game will become borring very soon!!!…Expand

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view.
Overall, this was a fun game. In fact, I'm going to play it a second time on a harder difficulty because I enjoyed it so much. I do have a few "issues" with the game though... Firstly the default PC controls are poorly assigned... Push "V" for melee combat... seriously!? Melee is meant to be quick and swift, I had to constantly look down at my keyboard to find the "V" key when an alien pounced on me. Also, making "F" key the alternate fire key... seriously!? I feel like the mouse should handle all the weapon controls. Primary fire is left click, secondary fire can be right-click, or middle-click. Not pushing "F" on the keyboard... That's like having to reach down and push a button on your Hip to make your gun launch a grenade. Just doesn't make sense... So anyways, I reassigned it so that left-click was primary-fire, middle-click was alt-fire, right click was melee-attack, "F" was flashlight. The game was much better from that point on.

The next thing I noticed was a somewhat buggy AI... From time to time, I would see enemies running into walls or not moving at all while I shoot them. The "co-op" AI was also somewhat dumb, just standing getting shot in many cases... But I can look past some of it... Being a developer myself, I understand that building a good AI is super difficult.

Lastly, the end Boss battle... SPOILER ALERT... The end boss battle was LAME! You run around, push 5 buttons, and its over... Never using any weapons... Seriously? All these weapons i've been upgrading, and customizing, and I dont get to use any of them for the final battle? Not even a couple times? Nope... You literally run around a room, avoiding the queen, while you push 5 buttons, that eventually eject her from the ship... Pretty lame... You dont even get to use the Power Loader suit. In fact, you only get to use the Power Loader suit ONCE in the entire game... Why go through all the effort to have the Power Loader when you only use it once... and its a crappy battle when you do use it... I feel like they could have done more with the Power Loader and the Final Battle. At least involved using your weapons somehow.…Expand

I have played for about 3 hours and I would score it about 55/100. Graphics are at least 5 years out dated, You don't get any advantage using a 120hz monitor as the game runs at 60fps doesn't matter if vsync is on or off. So I don't see any reason spending $120 USD on this game.

Well this is a game i have been waiting for a long time. And, truth be told, it's not great. First of all, the grafics are "ok" on the pc version. Not great, but ok. But they are not the problem with this game. First, the campaign is just bad. From the first 10 minutes into the game, it felt really wrong. If this is suppose, to be a direct and legit sequel to aliens, well... It sucks. TheWell this is a game i have been waiting for a long time. And, truth be told, it's not great. First of all, the grafics are "ok" on the pc version. Not great, but ok. But they are not the problem with this game. First, the campaign is just bad. From the first 10 minutes into the game, it felt really wrong. If this is suppose, to be a direct and legit sequel to aliens, well... It sucks. The characters are all forgetable. I cared for none of them. NONE. They are a generic copy and paste from old school action game characters with no personality. If you liked Hudson, Hicks Vasq, drake, ect... None of the marines in this game come even close to them. You just DON'T CARE!!! The story was meh, the missions on the Sulaco were forgetable, but it gets better once you get to Hadley's hope. And the ending is just terrible. The campain is just 5 hours long give or take. Now... some of you might not care about the story. You just want the atmosphere and tensions from the movie right? Did gearbox pull it off? Well... To be fair, sound is good, music is accurate and yes Hadley's hope is very detailed and looks very accurate to the movie. But here is the thing where GBX messed up... And it's no small issue. The ALIENS... My god... the Aliens! They walk and move around like retards, they don't scare you, they just pop at you in (badly)scripted events. Think it stops there? I am just getting started... The AI is... It's..... I can't describe it. But Half-life 1 had a better AI then this piece of crap. Yes. HL 1, a game that came out YEARS ago, did better. ALIENS ARE RETARDS in this game. And don't think that they get smarter at higher difficulty setting... They don't, they just hit you harder. Like the motion tracker? don't bother using it! Aliens just pop in front you and try to give you a hug. What happened to the most feared monster in the galaxy? They just run at you like retarded zombies. I never felt ANY tension during the campain. (Well, except the stealth level, the only good moment in the campain). The AI is by far the kiss of death of this game. This migh just be a zombie game, it wouldn't make any difference. Co-op is a welcome addition and will definitly spice-up the experience. Provided that you set the difficulty level up, as the game dosen't scale according to the number of players in co-op. Multiplayer is probably the only enjoyable part of this game. Escape mode is fun to play as a marine as FINALLY you are facing Xenos with BRAINS. The motion tracker is usefull again. So yes it's fun and i can see myself playing it for some time... BUT........ playing as a xeno is... HORRIBLE! Wall climbing is by far the worst in ANY alien game i have seen so far. IT'S USELESS! You can't aim properly and perform attacks while you are on the wall. This is THE important part of being an alien, BEING ABLE TO ATTACK FROM ANY ANGLE!!!!! Why choose to make a 3rd person view to avoid people getting sick while wall climbing if wall climbing is broken in the first place? Screw the multiple alien races, an alien that can't climb on the wall properly is a dead alien. In short, they got the alien COMPLETLY wrong. Both in the Campain (Bad AI) and the multiplayer (Wall climbing+ attack is not much of an option). I used to have a lot of trust in gearbox games. But Duke Nukem forever, and now THIS! You have the greatest franchise of all TIME to toy with and this is what you DO with it? I swear, GBX needs to pull itself together.…Expand

I was a bit skeptical when i saw all harsh reviews, but then i played a the game, its true that the graphics are dated, but that's not the straw that broke the camel's back (straws in this case), it doesn't feel like an aliens game, or a horror movie for that matter, the Xenos come at you in plain sight, and you have more than enough ammo to gun them down, the game suffers from broken AI,I was a bit skeptical when i saw all harsh reviews, but then i played a the game, its true that the graphics are dated, but that's not the straw that broke the camel's back (straws in this case), it doesn't feel like an aliens game, or a horror movie for that matter, the Xenos come at you in plain sight, and you have more than enough ammo to gun them down, the game suffers from broken AI, quirky animations, forgettable characters, You'll find yourself stepping right through some debris, and chunks of alien organic materials found on the ground while walking around like its not there, i haven't tried the multiplayer yet, so i have no opinion on that. if you're a fan of movies, you might tolerate some of the inconveniences that i've mentioned, or you'll just rate it harshly out of bitter disappointment like all the 1's and 2's found on here, as a for me i feel like i flushed my money down the toilet.…Expand

Yes, this game is arguably underwhelming from the expectations that everybody had set for it but then, what did you expect? The game has spent 7 years in development accumulating hype from a fan-base in what I call the Duke Nukem Effect. The game spent a good portion of it's development indefinitely postponed, and when it came to fixing it up, there really hadn't been 7 years ofYes, this game is arguably underwhelming from the expectations that everybody had set for it but then, what did you expect? The game has spent 7 years in development accumulating hype from a fan-base in what I call the Duke Nukem Effect. The game spent a good portion of it's development indefinitely postponed, and when it came to fixing it up, there really hadn't been 7 years of development put into it. Maybe two at most.

However, this doesn't mean it's a bad game. Sure, the AI is a little dumb and the graphics are mediocre, but then games with similarly poor graphics never really receive the abuse that this has. Campaign wise, yes, the story is... way off for an Aliens game, but that doesn't mean it's not enjoyable if you forget the game's relation to its source material.

There are also loads of little references to the film that are nice for fans, and the atmosphere is quite well done the lighting in this is excellent, as is the fact that you can see your own feet and shadow really adds to the immersion.

A:CM is not perfect, by any stretch of the imagination, but if they can sort out the AI, it'll at least be respectable. It deserves more than it got, but less than the game should've achieved.…Expand

The trouble I find with a game like this is everyone has such high expectations and only seems to like to pick out the bad bits, completely forgetting the rest.
It's an Aliens game, its going to be limited in what it can do without destroying it's own universe (you may think all the AVP films and games did that, but lets forget those never happened), throw in that any high budget game isThe trouble I find with a game like this is everyone has such high expectations and only seems to like to pick out the bad bits, completely forgetting the rest.
It's an Aliens game, its going to be limited in what it can do without destroying it's own universe (you may think all the AVP films and games did that, but lets forget those never happened), throw in that any high budget game is nearly always made for the console then ported to the PC and you have another issue, technology limitations. So why expect something that it never will be?

Starting with the good:
- You got to be a fan of the film, not the franchise, just the film. I mean the sort of fan that will watch it a few times a year and can recite most of the quotes. If you're not then you'll probably just think of it as a generic shooter. Which I am!
- Sounds and music are great, it really does sound like a pulse rifle and motion tracker, and lets face it you'll pretty much just be using those the whole game.
- Some nice touches re-creating the Aliens scenery, finding the med bay, the room where Burke let a facehugger loose on Ripley and Newt, and even the trike you see at the beginning of the directors cut.
- First time around it's great to shoot up a load of Aliens, hordes of them and even the single hunters that hide and wait for you. Can get old fast with the AI Marines with you though.
- Fun coop on Ultimate Badass mode, provided you haven't played the single player yet. "You go first", "No YOU go first"

The no so impressive side:
- Buggy AI, seems to get stuck sometimes and teleport in front of you. Not sure what that's about but there has been worse around. Give it a rest.
- Can't use the motion tracker to find enemies in the next room until you open the door and get attacked. Maybe they're just not moving, it is a 'motion' tracker and not a 'stationary' tracker after all.
- Fight too many humans, a little was fine but bleh, it's called Aliens so should have lots of them!
- Checkpoints seem to make things behind you disappear, leaving no reason to watch your six.

Non-Issues, things people whine about because they can:
- Graphics look a bit flat, but it doesn't struggle. The Sulaco and Hadleys Hope wasnt exactly build with textured wallpaper.
- Story and Voice acting. It's not the best but it's about as annoying as being forced to cut your toenails once in a while. It's minimal and you just deal with it.
- Marines get a boost in multiplayer just by playing the campaign making being an alien rather difficult to begin with.

Enjoying myself fully after 3-4 missions in the cinematic single player part of this game. Not as scary as the earlier AvP games but a solid SP experience. So far my only real complaint is the scripted pauses where the tracker is not accessible. The unlocks and leveling feels well integrated and solid and adds more game within the game.

Good: gfx, sound, control
Not as good: Scripted,Enjoying myself fully after 3-4 missions in the cinematic single player part of this game. Not as scary as the earlier AvP games but a solid SP experience. So far my only real complaint is the scripted pauses where the tracker is not accessible. The unlocks and leveling feels well integrated and solid and adds more game within the game.

This game is not bad i see that is better on the pc because the pc versions do not have problems whit graphic.The gameplay is ok you will get scared sometimes and if you play it on a harder difficulty the game gets harder and better.My biggest issue is the stupid friendly AI it is just stupid it lets the xenos kill you without helping but they still help sometimes.The game does notThis game is not bad i see that is better on the pc because the pc versions do not have problems whit graphic.The gameplay is ok you will get scared sometimes and if you play it on a harder difficulty the game gets harder and better.My biggest issue is the stupid friendly AI it is just stupid it lets the xenos kill you without helping but they still help sometimes.The game does not deserve 1 and 4 it deserves a 7 or a 6.6 out of 10 if you do not like aliens you will not like this game a lot but if you like aliens and you have friends that have time to play co-op whit you than thee game gets better.My final verdict is a 7/10…Expand

Pretty solid if you're a fan of the series. It's basically just a fan service game layered over a mediocre cover shooter. But it's not that bad, and it has Steamworks integration, co-op, and some novel multiplayer modes. I wouldn't drop $50 on it, but it's easily worth $20 or so.

Pros:
Sound is dead on for rifles, xenos, etc. Voice acting is good.
Environment/atmosphere. They reallyPretty solid if you're a fan of the series. It's basically just a fan service game layered over a mediocre cover shooter. But it's not that bad, and it has Steamworks integration, co-op, and some novel multiplayer modes. I wouldn't drop $50 on it, but it's easily worth $20 or so.

Sure, the game isn't breaking new ground, and it would have benefited from a tactical shooter approach rather than a straight FPS, but it's still enjoyable, particularly if you're a fan of the source material. Multiplayer modes are quite fun if played with friends and other fans, and headphones with surround sound make a big difference in atmosphere. It could certainly use some polish,Sure, the game isn't breaking new ground, and it would have benefited from a tactical shooter approach rather than a straight FPS, but it's still enjoyable, particularly if you're a fan of the source material. Multiplayer modes are quite fun if played with friends and other fans, and headphones with surround sound make a big difference in atmosphere. It could certainly use some polish, but unlike many higher-rated games, the story is at least more engaging. Expectations were very high with the game, so it's no wonder it's getting trashed. Setting up friends-only games was a breeze, and we had no trouble with drop-in/drop outs. Our friendly AI were pretty helpful, actually, and the aliens were persistent and varied in their attack vectors, though the Weyland Yutani troops were a little too quick to leave cover in search of a better angle. Other than that....

Is Aliens: CE a great game? Not even kinda. However, if you were to ask me if it were a bad game...well then the answer is no, not really. In my opinion, the honest truth is that Aliens: CE is just an average game with an Aliens brand, and perhaps that's why it's being trashed. So lets examine the game's faults right away. First and foremost, the graphics are mediocre to downright bad.Is Aliens: CE a great game? Not even kinda. However, if you were to ask me if it were a bad game...well then the answer is no, not really. In my opinion, the honest truth is that Aliens: CE is just an average game with an Aliens brand, and perhaps that's why it's being trashed. So lets examine the game's faults right away. First and foremost, the graphics are mediocre to downright bad. I've run the game on max settings and I'd be a colossal liar if I said it compared to the other 2013 titles. The dated look instantly made me think of Duke Nukem Forever. Up second is the AI, which isn't too bright either. Under the most ideal circumstances, there was one or two times where the Aliens made a maneuver that I didn't expect, but sadly the majority seemed content to just rush you from different angles. Granted, I myself could get past these issues fairly easily, but what really keeps me from loving Aliens: CE is the single-player campaign, which considering its title as a true canonical sequel, should be one of the most important aspects. Instead, single-player quickly becomes a shooting gallery of great set-pieces brought down by average fight sequences. Furthermore, the campaign is just too easy for any terror or tension to really emerge. I myself played on the Hardened difficulty, where the enemy could three-shot-kill-me, as it should be, but the dull AI and never ending discharge of bullets wrecks the atmosphere. That said, the campaign isn't a total miss, there are plenty of homages and tributes to the film, as well as some decent setpieces, but ultimately the atmosphere these things are trying to create just never really happens. Finally, several technical bugs have been reported in the game, though I myself have not run into any of these, it certainly isn't doing the game any favors.

And yet, Aliens: CE isn't a total loss, which is why I'm so reluctant to be complacent with a 4.5 average score. As said before, the environments and game entities have some tender love and care, and are accurate recreations of the sets from the films. At times the game is absolutely brimming with fan service, such as collecting weaponry used by the cast of the Aliens movie, or scouring the game for secrets and achievements named after movie events. All the iconic weaponry handles well enough (minus the half-baked cover system), and some of the action sequences started to make me feel like a bad-ass. Multiplayer, assuming it doesn't die in the next few weeks, was actually quite a satisfying experience and is where the game really shines. A good variety of modes, a solid mix of weapons, and some great tactics that only emerge when humans are at the wheel instead of AI's gives a pleasant glimpse into what the game should have been. In the rounds I played it was enjoyable to see xeno players find ways to lure and trick opponents, while marine players would develop strategies for staying safe and well protected. The multiplayer is also packed with customization options to fine-tune your playstyle with gun accessories, perks, armors, and plenty of cosmetics for both humans and aliens.

After six years in development, its understandably depressing that your patience has been rewarded with rather unremarkable sci-fi horror corridor shooter that sometimes grasps for greatness, and oftentimes falls flat on its face. And yet despite all the flaws, there's just enough gory, acidic goodness in the game to give me hope that an amazing aliens video game is not quite as impossible as it might seem.…Expand

Ok for a start this game has terrible AI and its very much noticed on Mission 2 the most(1 mission out of 11). The games Graphics are Fine..Omg the amount of people moaning about the damn graphics its sending me crazy.(GFX are about the same as COD on the PC).

I have have played upto Mission 6 and i'm super enjoying it for sure i can not see what the problem is. The multiplayer is trulyOk for a start this game has terrible AI and its very much noticed on Mission 2 the most(1 mission out of 11). The games Graphics are Fine..Omg the amount of people moaning about the damn graphics its sending me crazy.(GFX are about the same as COD on the PC).

I have have played upto Mission 6 and i'm super enjoying it for sure i can not see what the problem is. The multiplayer is truly fun (team Death-match and survivor). Marines play completely fine to me but the Aliens are very clunky BUT after a few hours you do start to get a hang of it (upgrades help alot with speed and power)

What im tryin to say is i cant see what the problem is with this game apart from Bad AI and OK graphics and a 7hour Single player. The reviews have been well to harsh i say. My score 6.8/10…Expand

let's start off by saying that I've actually played through the entire campaign and spend several hours in multilayer. having said that, here's my honest opinion.

The game looks like an Alien movie, the amount of details spend in the environments is great, and you'll recognize a lot from the alien movies, but the graphics themselves are actually not up to par with recent games. if thislet's start off by saying that I've actually played through the entire campaign and spend several hours in multilayer. having said that, here's my honest opinion.

The game looks like an Alien movie, the amount of details spend in the environments is great, and you'll recognize a lot from the alien movies, but the graphics themselves are actually not up to par with recent games. if this game would have come out 2-3 years ago, it's graphics would have been good, now, not so great.
The music, voice acting, sfx sounds are all good though annoying at times, beep beep beep ).
The story feels like a decent alien story, nothing to over the top, and actually believable if you know the franchise. it tries to fill some gaps between movies and does a decent but not great job of doing so. in comparison to recent fps games coming out this was one of the better stories.

but this is where most of the praise ends.
The guns feel to strong most of the time I would heavily advice you to play on harder or impossible difficulty the aliens while decently strong please note that this is written after a harder play-through

now the game play, this is where the game doesn't hold up to expectations. there's some scare moment, but far to little for an alien game. it's not uncommon to slaughter a lot of them for as long as you have ammo. while ammo isn't infinite there's definitely enough around to play out the game with 3-4 different guns only. and there's about 12 of them depending on how you count aliens leap but rarely hits, when they attack they stand still for a moment, allowing an easy melee to stun/stop them or just blast them into heaven(?). the game feels easy and you feel like a super soldier half of the time. and while there's plenty of variety in your weapons, the aliens lack strategy and diversity.

the human characters seem to lack all facial expressions except for eyes and mouth movement, aliens move sporadically between you and your ally(s) and often only target 1 at a time. and it's not uncommon to see an alien forget you after it walks past you.

missions and area's are diverse enough that they won't bore you through the campaign. but instead of feeling like the ultimate deadly enemy humans not included they feel rather simple and dumb.

you carry all your unlocked weapons with you, and you can select 2 main, a side-gun(pistol) and a grenade at a time, and you can swap between them in real time by opening up the real time weapon menu.
you gain levels as you kill aliens which grant you unlocks to upgrade your weapons and load-out. you have an armor which you have to replenish by finding armor pieces, and a health bar which is put into 3 parts. and you generate a bar as long as it isn't fully replenished.
I actually like these systems, the game feels more like an older fps where you have to be careful with your health and armor then the modern day shooters where you regenerate your arm every 30 seconds.

for the multilayer you keep the weapons/unlocks that you build up in single player, unfortunately there's no alien single-player, so your heavily behind in as alien as you start in MP. aliens feel underpowered, and lag is a huge issue all auto matching, expect half your matches to be to bad to play still it has it's fun moment, and if you do get a good kill it feels rewarding enough to keep going.

the game has a lot of potential, and it's unfortunately that gearbox did as much perfectly right, as that there lacking in parts. it also definitely needs some balance issues for pc. i can only hope they can fix this with some patches/dlc.

so, IN CONCLUSION.
good atmosphere, but mediocre shooter with some decent alien mechanics. stands out above most modern mediocre fps due to a decent story and some more old-school mechanics.
if your an alien fan, try to buy it at a discount. if your just an average fps player, i don't advice you to buy this.…Expand

There are so many problems with this game that it's not even funny. The story is so bad it's good, there are parts of the levels that are so unpolished it's embarrassing and there's too much time shooting other humans rather than hunting bugs. As a single player game, it's a dead loss. If you stop to examine it, it's really stupid on many levels.

BUT
If you want an Aliens game, as aThere are so many problems with this game that it's not even funny. The story is so bad it's good, there are parts of the levels that are so unpolished it's embarrassing and there's too much time shooting other humans rather than hunting bugs. As a single player game, it's a dead loss. If you stop to examine it, it's really stupid on many levels.

BUT

If you want an Aliens game, as a Marine, no Predators around, you and your mates shooting aliens for about seven hours, it's okay. I mean it's not brilliant but it's a fun, reasonably challenging cooperative shooter and there aren't many of those around for the PC. I enjoyed the coop campaign in ACM more than I enjoyed my first play-through of Left 4 Dead or the Syndicate coop missions and it had a much smoother process to set it up than the latter.

It's a long way from polished but I think it offers something that is all too rare on PC, a solid coop first person shooter experience. I got seven hours out of it, which isn't much for a full price game, but they were seven good hours, so I don't think it's that bad. Wouldn't recommend getting it except on sale though really. But just to reiterate, it's only saving feature is the coop, it does that well enough to be worth a dip into a bargain bin.…Expand

I'll try to be short and sweet with my review. I'll start by saying that this is a game that will not win any GOTY awards, however it's not nearly the train wreck that some people have made it out to be. Also I've heard alot of complaints on how easy the game is. Set the difficulty at hardened or greater and you should get a good challenge.

Audio 9
Overall the game has great audio,I'll try to be short and sweet with my review. I'll start by saying that this is a game that will not win any GOTY awards, however it's not nearly the train wreck that some people have made it out to be. Also I've heard alot of complaints on how easy the game is. Set the difficulty at hardened or greater and you should get a good challenge.

Audio 9
Overall the game has great audio, well done and authentic sounds from the movies .

Graphics- 7
I'd say that the graphics on this game are average to good for this console generation, that being said on PC, it would be nice to really be able to max everything, although the PC graphics are better than the console versions.

Story-4
Well, they tried, unfortunately trying doesn't guarantee success. With some professional writers and a bit more thought and time they could have made a very compelling story, but they didn't

Replayability-9
Ok, so the single player campaign isn't the best, and if this were a single player only game, that would warrant a 3 out of 10. But there is also a multiplayer element to this game that I find very entertaining and addictive(although the marines seem a bit more overpowered than the aliens, but it could be because my alien toon is low level. If they continue to develop multiplayer maps and features, then this game could turn out rather well. Let's be honest, no one is buying COD black ops for the single player, and if they did, they would be pretty disappointed. I would compare aliens CM to COD Black ops in that respect. Sure the single player is mediocre at best, but the multiplayer can pick up the slack.…Expand

After laying multiplayer some more and get some more control of the alien im adding 3 points to this game review it will even go to an 8 if most problems will be adressed and when there will be new (usefull) content.
At first it was horrible now its just a game that just lacks love from the developers.
Alien controlls still are clunky but manageable.
Campaign is quite the generic walkAfter laying multiplayer some more and get some more control of the alien im adding 3 points to this game review it will even go to an 8 if most problems will be adressed and when there will be new (usefull) content.
At first it was horrible now its just a game that just lacks love from the developers.
Alien controlls still are clunky but manageable.
Campaign is quite the generic walk down a hallway and shoot stuff but gets you special guns.
AI is just silly voice acting could be good only its to repetetive and should change during the campaign levels.
Graphics are okay its not bad and it isnt marvelous either.
server browsing should be added it is one of the things that keeps multiplayer alive.
Servers should be able to migrate host to counter abrupt game endings and need to search a new game again.
marine weapons feel alright altough a little overpowered in escape mode (my opinion).
weird friendly fire system no damage from bullets but explosions do so it should be changed to on or off.

Overall fun to play online, campaign could be fun on hardest dificulty.…Expand

So this is my first time ever writing a review for something.....ever. I've been a gamer ever since the NES came out. (sheesh..I feel lold). I am also a big movie buff and remember seeing Alien and Aliens when I was younger and it scared me to death! It also was one of the best forms of story telling I have ever seen in horror movies. So, for me as a gamer mixing the too is HUGE! I'veSo this is my first time ever writing a review for something.....ever. I've been a gamer ever since the NES came out. (sheesh..I feel lold). I am also a big movie buff and remember seeing Alien and Aliens when I was younger and it scared me to death! It also was one of the best forms of story telling I have ever seen in horror movies. So, for me as a gamer mixing the too is HUGE! I've played all the major titles like Gears of War, God of War, Mario Bros, etc, etc. So in this review I want to talk to the people I feel this will appeal to. Is the game worth $60....no....it is not...I payed that and it is not. Also a heads up to those of you getting the Collector's Edition...the "statute" is smaller than the game case...so I downgraded...I was hoping for something more along the lines of the Marcus statue I own from Gears of War 3. I did not get the game that was advertised....doesn't match the screen shots...or hype that we were promised....but....we did get pieces of that promised expierence...and that has been enough for me. The graphics are 1st gen 360 (Turok) and there is a lot of screen tearing in single player...but....the sound is amazing....and took me right back to the days of hiding behind the couch in fear of seeing what the aliens were going to do to people. But...back to the game....I've enjoyed this game....ENJOYED!...not like Call of Duty...Battlefield.....Gears of War......but as an Aliens game.....Yes...you do play through the same levels as the movie....and people complain....Are you telling me that you are a fan and have no interest of seeing those same scenes in PLAYABLE FORM!!! Come on! When I was a kid I dreamed of going down those corriders and shooting those aliens with every gun, gernade, and friend I have ever seen in Aliens, and here...you finally get to do it!!! This is a game for Aliens fans looking for more aliens.....not Aliens fans looking for Halo 4, Call of Duty, and Battlefield, but fans who loved the material. Yes the graphics bothered me at first....esp. when I saw there was screen tearing in the start menu...bluh...but I have become engrossed in this franchise and if you want a really "creepy, scary" version of the game the play AVP from 2010...I thought it was more edgy...but if you wanna scream "let's rock" and shootem up with a friend...DO IT!!!! I thought the story was good...not great...but not bad....but it functions! and I think pretty well. The sound....the sound is Great!!!....From the pulse rifle...to the motion tracker...its great! And for the people complaining about having so many weapons....apprently you didn't see the movies...they were LOADED!!! They had all these toys! Yea...you can't carry that many in real life...but at least you can say...oh yea....this is a smart gun moment!...too bad I can only do that on level 2....nope...now you can do it whenever....Now for multiplayer...I hated it....at first....its starting to grow on me.....and yes...the camera and controls suck for the aliens....but once you invest some time into them....it got better....and the marines were always fun to play as....but everyone will find their mode in it.....so....overall this is what I have to say rating this game....

Graphics- 6
Sound- 10
Gameplay- 7
Replay- 7

One review on here summed it up.....some people are gonna love it....some people are gonna hate it! But only review if you've played it.....I'm pretty sure a lot of the negative reviews are from those who haven't even played the game...but if you have and felt this way....then it wasn't meant for you....its generic....and outdated....but it still captures something for me that I found in the films. Curiosity and the fun that comes from the Alien universe....I play games because they are fun....its how they are supposed to be! And just for the record....these reviews you "fans" put out that people read....are the reason the game industry is failing...when investors see these numbers and comments....they make big decisions based on these....I don't want any developers to go under....cause its less product for us!! They don't play the games....and when they see this....adios developers...publishers...etc....so take that into account before you go trashing a game...especially if its one you haven't played or don't like cause its the "other guy"......if anyone reads this...thanks for your time....hope you have a great one!…Expand

GOOD
-Up to 4 player co-op
-Xeno 3rd person perspective
-Interesting multi-player modes
-level up system for xenos
-Customization of your guns
BAD
-Graphics are a bit rough
-Alien AI is sketchy
-More action less atmosphere in single player
-Overall Polish
-No dedicated servers?
-It lets you carry too many weapons
-Limited online functions (eg cannot search a game by ping)GOOD
-Up to 4 player co-op
-Xeno 3rd person perspective
-Interesting multi-player modes
-level up system for xenos
-Customization of your guns
BAD
-Graphics are a bit rough
-Alien AI is sketchy
-More action less atmosphere in single player
-Overall Polish
-No dedicated servers?
-It lets you carry too many weapons
-Limited online functions (eg cannot search a game by ping) Matchmaking only
-No real feeling of terror in single player, multi player can make you fear the aliens though playing as a marine.
I don't think any parts of it are terrible (pc version) but there are plenty of things which could be improved. Which is why it was panned so bad I think, it being Alien franchise it has a lot to live up to. It being in development for 6 years is a joke really.
I would describe the game as a pick up and play decent budget game.…Expand

In my honest opinion:
I so far have only played the single player campaign, and I liked it. I enjoyed the game play, and I found myself immersed in nostalgia. Even though the AI was horribly clunky, Marine NPCs were getting caught on the smallest of objects, they would occasionally disappear and reappear and at times they felt like a waste of space who couldn't aim to save their lives,In my honest opinion:
I so far have only played the single player campaign, and I liked it. I enjoyed the game play, and I found myself immersed in nostalgia. Even though the AI was horribly clunky, Marine NPCs were getting caught on the smallest of objects, they would occasionally disappear and reappear and at times they felt like a waste of space who couldn't aim to save their lives, this is because they're an NPC, in a shooter. They're not there to do the work for you, they're there to provide minimum backup while you show the world what and ultimate badass really is. Even the Alien AI wasn't all that hot, however basic warriors still didn't make a sound. They still used ambush tactics, would come through vents, grates on the ground, etc. They did as they were supposed to. Even though certain mechanics such as; taking cover, moving over cover, squad commands, and a few other small things could have been added, as a whole. The game was not too bad. The storyline was short, however you have to remember that this is a FPS that doesn't have a direct roleplaying interaction. Linear FPS games are meant to be short. You're not supposed to spend days upon days working your way through the story as if you were playing an RPG like Skyrim. Short, precise plot points telling you were to go, what to do. After all you're a God damn Marine. If you found the game play of the main story wasn't scary enough, turn down the brightness and increase the difficulty. Play in the dark. Use headphones instead of speakers. Don't sit in a room with the light on, don't have your brightness up so that you have perfect night vision, make it so that all you can hear are your own footsteps down a hallway with the small 'blip' sounds from your motion tracker.

But you know... Let's just verbally destroy a game a couple of days after its release. You know, on-release bugs make a game and all.…Expand

Bottom line I've had a ton of fun with this game, as it has always been a fantasy of mine to be in the boots of a colonial marine out on another bug hunt. I just cannot see how this game is dinged for things such as poor textures, sub par AI, and an unimaginative story. What I mean to say is there needs to be some kind of standard here, you can apply these very same criticisms to MW3 andBottom line I've had a ton of fun with this game, as it has always been a fantasy of mine to be in the boots of a colonial marine out on another bug hunt. I just cannot see how this game is dinged for things such as poor textures, sub par AI, and an unimaginative story. What I mean to say is there needs to be some kind of standard here, you can apply these very same criticisms to MW3 and BO2, yet Colonial Marines is viewed as a blight on the industry. Maybe my standards have softened after ME3, but I've found entertainment and value in this game. Perhaps I just enjoy shooting aliens for a change as opposed to people with different skin colors and implied bad intentions. In conclusion this doesn't reinvent the wheel, more or less just spitting acid on it, making for a bumpy yet very authentic ride.
Recommended after a steam discount.…Expand

The overall reviews for this game are unfair. It's not ground breaking, and it feels rushed. But the environments are true to the Aliens series and the game is still fun. The campaign is far too short, but that is the case with every FPS game since MW:2 hit the market. It's worth playing if you're a fan of the original Aliens movie, or if you want to burn some time, though I would say thisThe overall reviews for this game are unfair. It's not ground breaking, and it feels rushed. But the environments are true to the Aliens series and the game is still fun. The campaign is far too short, but that is the case with every FPS game since MW:2 hit the market. It's worth playing if you're a fan of the original Aliens movie, or if you want to burn some time, though I would say this game belongs in the $29 to $39 range.

The unlocks add an interesting twist, and the weapon mods a little flavor, but I would have preferred more story and less CoD.…Expand

Though Aliens: Colonial Marines is getting a huge amount of bad reviews, it’s not an extremely bad game. Some of you may be thinking the whole point of the game was to kill a bunch of Xenomorphs and defeat the Queen, but it’s a little more than that. It may be lacking graphically, which sadly a lot of games are nowadays, and the story may be short, but it has some great points ofThough Aliens: Colonial Marines is getting a huge amount of bad reviews, it’s not an extremely bad game. Some of you may be thinking the whole point of the game was to kill a bunch of Xenomorphs and defeat the Queen, but it’s a little more than that. It may be lacking graphically, which sadly a lot of games are nowadays, and the story may be short, but it has some great points of nostalgia.

Yes, you have the Xenomorphs and the queen and every other iconic creature from the Alien movies, such as Facehuggers, but Xenomorphs aren’t the only threat in this game. There is also the Weyland Utani, and actually, the Weyland Utani play a huge role in the game, as well as adding some variety to the gameplay so that you’re not just fighting through hordes of Xenos. Easter Eggs, like Hicks’ shotgun, are sprinkled throughout the campaign and add a great deal of nostalgia, which I found to be quite entertaining. Sadly though, the story seems to end abruptly and seems unfinished, and considering the game was delayed that’s horrifyingly surprising.

The gameplay is fast paced, with occasional tasks taking a little longer than most, e.g. the dreaded “fetch quests”. AI are horribly programmed, with teammates blowing up explosive barrels every once in a while and setting you back to the last checkpoint, and checkpoints aren’t very abundant. Oh, and enemy AI can shoot through walls, which is super fun! (If you couldn’t tell, that was sarcasm.) Also, I played the game on Normal difficulty and the enemies proved to be semi-difficult at times, so I’d imagine they’re pretty hard on the highest difficulty. The multiplayer is also pretty fun, especially playing as the Xenos, they have some pretty cool abilities. You can also level up and customize your weapons and loadouts in multiplayer which allows for some variety. The multiplayer includes 4 modes: TDM, Extermination, Escape and Survivor which can be played on 9 maps.

“They’re coming outta the goddamn walls.” Hudson

The games models, textures and animations are way behind the times. The cinematics are about 5 years behind and don’t seem to sync up very well, nor do they transition smoothly. While the rest of the game pretty much looks like it should have come out in 2008, oh wait, that’s when they announced the delay the first time… Although, I’d say the lighting is quite nice, and with the brightness turned down it’s a little startling when you’re pounced on by an unexpected Xeno.

Ahh, the sound effects, they’re awesome. The sound of the pulse rifle has got to be one of my favorite sound effects in any game and the Xeno hiss is up there with the Predator click as one of the scariest sounds of all time. The rest of the sounds though weren’t very memorable, there’s nothing really special about them. The dialog was a bit weak especially outside of the cutscenes. But I did find the stories that Audio Logs tell to be interesting, especially the one about Newt’s family.

“They mostly come at night… mostly.” Newt

This game has little to no replay value when it comes to campaign, but multiplayer can be played for a while. With tons of leveling and customizing to do, the multiplayer rivals that of current games, especially the garbage that is MW3.

So, with a seemingly unfinished story, not so cutting-edge graphics by any means, and a laughably easy last mission it doesn’t have much of a chance. But, for a fan of the Alien franchise, this is one of the more authentic games out there. The multiplayer redeems the game itself by offering a Left 4 Dead-like experience, with Marines vs. Xenomorphs. And, the nostalgia was enough to make me buy the game. Overall, it was a fun game, but nothing amazing.

After 1,5 hours of playing i can say that this game is sadly not a horror game I was really hopped for a great horror/shooter. They made the shooter part well, but not the horror part. The story is so typical, a ship send out a distress signal, marines roll in much of the squad gets killed in the first few minutes and only you remain to save everyone ass. The graphics are fine, not toAfter 1,5 hours of playing i can say that this game is sadly not a horror game I was really hopped for a great horror/shooter. They made the shooter part well, but not the horror part. The story is so typical, a ship send out a distress signal, marines roll in much of the squad gets killed in the first few minutes and only you remain to save everyone ass. The graphics are fine, not to shiny not to rusty. The gameplay is just a go from A to B and meanwhile kill Xenos.…Expand

Main problems are it's too simplistic and lacks polish. But it's no worse than all the others games based on this franchise. There is enjoyment to be had here, but no more so than with your latest Cowadooty game. I'd give this mid-60's rather than mid-40's. It really doesn't deserve the slating it's taken, although it can mostly blame itselfThe short version is that IT'S NOT THAT BAD!

Main problems are it's too simplistic and lacks polish. But it's no worse than all the others games based on this franchise. There is enjoyment to be had here, but no more so than with your latest Cowadooty game. I'd give this mid-60's rather than mid-40's. It really doesn't deserve the slating it's taken, although it can mostly blame itself for raising expectations so much at E3.…Expand

Many of you should be ashamed for black balling this game so horribly. I've had many hours of entertaining game play out of it. and half of you never even picked it up and feel you can review it. 47 hours of enjoyment this game has given me. try and get that at your local bar for 50 bucks.

After playing you, the feeling is rare.
1) The best of the game is the sound. Guns sound like in the movie. I think it's the best atmosphere achieved (not the visuals is lousy, I got better with the sweet nothing).
2) Graphics cuestinables the time. Safan.
3) AI-sas-tro-za. The worst part of the game.
4) good gameplay and good story (although everything is open to criticism)
5) FinalAfter playing you, the feeling is rare.
1) The best of the game is the sound. Guns sound like in the movie. I think it's the best atmosphere achieved (not the visuals is lousy, I got better with the sweet nothing).
2) Graphics cuestinables the time. Safan.
3) AI-sas-tro-za. The worst part of the game.
4) good gameplay and good story (although everything is open to criticism)
5) Final open (and bad?) Which gives the possibility to Gearbox to patch everything bad in this 1st part.
6) It could have been a great game, but it's like a diamond in the rough. I miss polishing asperities (which people no longer banking). When will they understand? It would have been better to wait 6 months and now be putting a 9 …Expand

The so called "Professional Reviewers" Are FAR to harsh with this game. Okay Granted it has its flaws (The AI is Wonky in Single Player) Yet the campaign is still rich and engaging within the Aliens Universe. Its a Blast to walk around famous scenes from the movie with a Pal or two and Blast some Xenos into next week. Multiplayer IS fun and refreshing from other games out there (This oneThe so called "Professional Reviewers" Are FAR to harsh with this game. Okay Granted it has its flaws (The AI is Wonky in Single Player) Yet the campaign is still rich and engaging within the Aliens Universe. Its a Blast to walk around famous scenes from the movie with a Pal or two and Blast some Xenos into next week. Multiplayer IS fun and refreshing from other games out there (This one isn't some COD rip off Thank god!). People need to give this game a break, and give it credit where credit is due, not just look at its flaws and say its terrible. Unfortunately since I don't get paid to write articles about "How my opinion is better than everyone else's" This truthful review will be buried by hate and not see the light of day. At least I don't have my head up my ass...…Expand

I don't need to write a review on Aliens: Colonial Marines, as all that needs to be said has been said, but I wanted to rant about an experience I had with the game, and I'm not even done with it yet. I really tried to look past all of the bad reviews and just experience the single player campaign for myself. Honestly I have been actually enjoying the game. I did find a few flaws with it:I don't need to write a review on Aliens: Colonial Marines, as all that needs to be said has been said, but I wanted to rant about an experience I had with the game, and I'm not even done with it yet. I really tried to look past all of the bad reviews and just experience the single player campaign for myself. Honestly I have been actually enjoying the game. I did find a few flaws with it: Like my two AI buddies being able to run right through each other. Aliens can also occupy the exact same space as well. I'm not sure why they didn't allow for colliders on the 3D entities. Also, the music sometimes would work, and other times it wouldn't work. I would have these firefights, that seemed kind of bland, and I would notice that no music was going on. Then I would get killed, and when the scene restarted, there would be music there. That is the equivalent of going through a haunted house, and one of the animatronics breaking down during the ride. I guess my biggest gripe is that the game appeared not to have been tested before release.…Expand

i gave it a six out of ten, basically i enjoyed the game, it wasn't until it was pointed out that the game was nothing like what the demo promised i felt cheated a little, but hoping the devs can do something to keep supporting the franchis with animation,Ai and texture upgrades, and hopefully do what Bioware did with ME3 and release some "extended version" DLC cutscenes to better explaini gave it a six out of ten, basically i enjoyed the game, it wasn't until it was pointed out that the game was nothing like what the demo promised i felt cheated a little, but hoping the devs can do something to keep supporting the franchis with animation,Ai and texture upgrades, and hopefully do what Bioware did with ME3 and release some "extended version" DLC cutscenes to better explain the storyline. I hope gearbox, and Randy don't abandon this franchise, it CAN BE MADE RIGHT you can start by releasing a HD texture pack and a lighting overhaul…Expand

I'd been looking forward to this game for quite a while and my initial reaction to single player was massive disappointment. The AI of both enemies and friendlies leaves a lot to be desired. I'd often lose my AI team mates, or they'd get stuck or even more annoying frequently walk in the way. The team mate damage was pitiful but it's a common thing when you play single player shooters, youI'd been looking forward to this game for quite a while and my initial reaction to single player was massive disappointment. The AI of both enemies and friendlies leaves a lot to be desired. I'd often lose my AI team mates, or they'd get stuck or even more annoying frequently walk in the way. The team mate damage was pitiful but it's a common thing when you play single player shooters, you are supposed to be the one doing the killing. The single player levels are repetitive, aim down sights is actually fairly inaccurate and the graphics weren't at the quality they were represented in 'gameplay demos'. The story and characters were also lacking in depth, nothing really drew me into the aliens universe.

All that being said the multiplayer gameplay really shines. I enjoyed all game modes and despite a few problems in the days after release with matchup delays in AU I found it a really enjoyable experience and made the pre-order cost worth the money I paid ($35 AU on GMG).

Overall the game is ok, but all of the real aliens feel of the game for me came from the multiplayer. At the time of writing there are still a few glitches with character voices which can be mostly overlooked, often the marines call out when they are dead or just use sound bytes that aren't relevant to the activity.…Expand

First off I enjoyed this game to a point, there are however some glaring problems that just should not have made it through to the final product. AI dropping off completely, this happens all the time. A team member will randomly just stand around doing nothing; enemies will walk straight past them as they stare off blankly into space. Aliens will find a spot to zone out and wait for you toFirst off I enjoyed this game to a point, there are however some glaring problems that just should not have made it through to the final product. AI dropping off completely, this happens all the time. A team member will randomly just stand around doing nothing; enemies will walk straight past them as they stare off blankly into space. Aliens will find a spot to zone out and wait for you to shoot them. This can be a problem if you are required to kill everything in some points of the game to progress onwards, it did not happen to me but if it does happen it will be game breaking.

Textures, there are so many bad textures, Gearbox are terrible for this, optimisation is no excuse on a PC version of a game. In 2013 I should not be looking at textures in a game that aren’t even up to par with the original Alien vs. Predator. That is where my complaints end, I didn’t notice any kill streaks or such garbage during my play through, the story had decent pacing and some decent elements and a few good twists to the Alien creature itself that made for some good reference material when thinking back to the movies. There are a few eye roll moments and some small plot holes, that don’t have much of a negative impact on the plot. It is a big fan service, and people who aren’t diehard fans of the franchise will be left feeling a bit ripped off.

The gun play was quite good, the sound assets were brilliant, there could however be a bit more kick to the rifles, all they do is spread. The old pulse rifle needs to have a bit of jump to it and the fact that the grenade launcher by default is the “f” key makes for some frustrating moments as being used to other games that the use key is f will get you killed in a close quarters situation, like trying to open a door. It’s an easy rebinding, but still a pain that it was not really well thought out.
Overall I give AcM a 6/10, it definitely needs work. Hopefully the modding community will get on top of a texture pack, and Gearbox will patch the godforsaken AI. It’s not going to be for everyone, and I can understand the disappointment in it, saying to go in without expectations for the canonical sequel to one of the best sci-fi movies ever made is stupid, I would say that diehard fans should check it out when at the very least a decent patch comes out. Shame on you Gearbox, you can do so much better.…Expand

I love this game, it worth every penny I spent. Seriously people, it's not that bad.

Let's look at the problem people are talking about:
Graphic Sucks
Alright, I can related to this, the graphic is very poor, textures has really low resolution, and no “Real” anti-aliasing options make things looks jaggy at times. But to say it's horrible? I'm sure you guys hasn't played FEAR 3I love this game, it worth every penny I spent. Seriously people, it's not that bad.

Let's look at the problem people are talking about:

Graphic Sucks

Alright, I can related to this, the graphic is very poor, textures has really low resolution, and no “Real” anti-aliasing options make things looks jaggy at times. But to say it's horrible? I'm sure you guys hasn't played FEAR 3 before, it's graphic is way worst than ACM, it's story is uninspired and makes no sense at all, but it scores 7.5 on gamespot, really? If we apply the standard people enforce on ACM, every game needs to have Crysis level graphics and big-shot writer script to be call a decent game. But since it's obviously we don't judge a game by it's graphics, than why does ACM gets so much more hate for this?

AI is stupid, no challenge unless play the hardest difficulty

I finished the game on Soldier difficulty, I don't even know where is this opinion coming from, the AI is fine in my opinion. Yes sometimes your AI teammates get stuck on some places, but it's not like it never happened to other games before, and for me it only happens 1~2 times so it didn't bothers me at all. Enemy Xenomorph are fairly intelligent, I heard people are complaining about “They only charge at you, they don't flank you or anything.” I have to say from my own experience, the xenos can move very fast and surround you very quickly if you don't have a good aim, also they pounce at you from a distance sometimes, makes you have to keep pressing E to survive, I say they are fairly challenging. Don't forget the Xenos outnumbering the player by a huge percentage, if they all play hide and seek and being very smart, marines won't have a chance! You wouldn't have a game here.

Story makes no sense, bad ending.

I partially agree with this, the game could use a better story, the ending is a bit abrupt yes, but understandable.(sort of) But even though, I don't think the story is THAT bad, not bad enough to warrant all the hate it got anyway.

Ultimately, I think it comes down to the mindset you got when you play the game. If you got all hyped up by the PR, then you probably going to be very disappointed. But when I play this game I walk into it with one simple mindset

”Kill Xenomorph with Pulse Rifle and Smartgun, visit Sulaco and LV-426, experience the scenes from the movie ”

And I got everything I was paying for, so for me, this game rocks, as for people who expected more than this, unless RIDLEY SCOTT and JAMES CAMERON themselves are working on this project, you are expecting too much from Gearbox.…Expand

It has some glaring issues that could be repaired in future patches. From a single player perspective, the writing is sub-standard although supposed to be canon and there are portions of voice acting where the NPC's sound as if they don't care for the script. Even still, with a multiplayer group, and the highest difficulty settings some fun may still be had by a few gamers. I wouldn'tIt has some glaring issues that could be repaired in future patches. From a single player perspective, the writing is sub-standard although supposed to be canon and there are portions of voice acting where the NPC's sound as if they don't care for the script. Even still, with a multiplayer group, and the highest difficulty settings some fun may still be had by a few gamers. I wouldn't recommend it for someone solely wishing to play single-player mode, as it has no new game or replay value.…Expand

The game was better than I expected (Thought it was gonna be as bad as DNF since the game was also stuck in hell for several years). Liked the collectibles and the fact I could carry all the weapons. Enemies were kinda stupid and the companion AI not that good (luckily he didn't get stuck anywhere). Locations where nice. I just wish they put more effort in the game. I gave it a 5 becauseThe game was better than I expected (Thought it was gonna be as bad as DNF since the game was also stuck in hell for several years). Liked the collectibles and the fact I could carry all the weapons. Enemies were kinda stupid and the companion AI not that good (luckily he didn't get stuck anywhere). Locations where nice. I just wish they put more effort in the game. I gave it a 5 because I'm a fan of the movies and previous AvP games and as I said it could of been worse (like throwing on walls and slapping wall seriously)…Expand

Average as anything but nowhere near as bad as its cracked up to be. I was expecting a broken mess. While it's far from great it's not that. It pales in comparison to Aliens, but that it a nigh perfect film. It is a perfectly competent shooter though. Linear, boggo graphics and some fairly crappy voice acting. It's a bit like Call of Duty in space then.

First of all, this game does not look nearly like the trailers for it.It is a scam and I hate it that we have to be a part of this, going for preorders as soon as we see another scam trailer. The devs deserve every low opinion of them as they cheated the public. As for everything else a game is, they pretty much failed at it.

SOUND
Two or three tracks play through the whole thing.First of all, this game does not look nearly like the trailers for it.It is a scam and I hate it that we have to be a part of this, going for preorders as soon as we see another scam trailer. The devs deserve every low opinion of them as they cheated the public. As for everything else a game is, they pretty much failed at it.

SOUND
Two or three tracks play through the whole thing. Boring, uninspiring. It totally took me out of the experience. As if this wasn`t bad enough, the shooting, explosions sounds are very weak. The dialogues are ok at best.

GAMEPLAY
Let me tell you, the worst thing I can compare to this is FEAR3. The guns are awful as they handle in a very arcadish way. No matter what gun you choose, the aim is all over the place. Guns like the smartgun or shotgun you`d think are powerful tend to waste a lot of ammo since they take at least a few hits to score a Xeno/human kill. The melee mechanics are very stale and unforgiving, unintuitive. You won`t be using them too much. The Colonial Marines obviously didn`t come up with an idea to use a knife or a blowtorch as weapons. Moreover, the player cannot sprint more than 20 meters of length until he`s half-dead because of poor stamina. The armor/health bars are a joke, because there is no difference if you get hit in the head or legs, it is always the same. The thing I liked is the motion sensor mechanics where you have to hit a key to bring it up but you can`t use a weapon at the same time.

AI
Very poor. The Xenos charge you frontside, they do not use their strenght or tail. The humans always do the same - they spawn up in a map spot, go to a cover and shoot from there, end of story.
Teammate AI can`t kill a thing, often blocks the only way forward. When travelling through the map they rush on ahead bypassing any enemies, leaving you alone to battle swarms. Other times they get caught up in a spot on the map so you have to wait fro them to spawn in another section.

GRAPHICS
What to say. Well, the year 2007 seems suitable for the graphics quality here. The textures are merely ok, the lightning is awful. The actor models are average at best. In some places there are signs of definite resource saving since this is first and foremost a 360 game. So in some places the game looks very poor. The killed enemies vaporize 10 seconds after being put down.

STORY
Normal story executed in a poor way. Half the time you battle humans only. Most of the time you`re running around opening door, hacking systems. Very monotone until you get to next section as the main story is short. The bossfights due to poor AI are weak, not scary in any way. Each and every cutscene is a disgrace to the Alien/Aliens franchise.

MULTIPLAYER
The number of gamemodes and modifications is ok. If you can get people to play this thing against each other than the experience gains some quality. Nonetheless it gets repetitive and after some hours in it I got bored.

Overall feels like an unpolished and rushed 3rd rate production of some low budget game studios.
Not recommended.…Expand

The sound is great, the graphics are average and the gameplay feels like a bad call of duty, but I still enjoyed this game, it has things to be enjoyed and things that just suck, If you don't care about the bad campaign just go onto multiplayer and have fun, after 6 years this is what we get? it's disappointing at some point, still likeable though.

I was really excited for this game, it was in development for quite a while but the end product wasn't the best outcome. The AI is TERRIBLE espically your teamate AI's they always seem to get in your way. The fact that a lot of the missions involve you fighting other humans was also a HUGE let down. I mean a little bit of human skirmishes would have been alright but the amount of missionsI was really excited for this game, it was in development for quite a while but the end product wasn't the best outcome. The AI is TERRIBLE espically your teamate AI's they always seem to get in your way. The fact that a lot of the missions involve you fighting other humans was also a HUGE let down. I mean a little bit of human skirmishes would have been alright but the amount of missions that you fight them is ridiculus, The game is pretty fun Co-op wise. P.S The boss battle takes like 2 minutes to beat.…Expand

The is Back!! The Aliens franchise has been through numerous sequels and mash ups and with the most recent origin story, Prometheus, the series has only become more forgettable. With Colonial Marines, it is now Sega’s turn to take up the banner of this once gloriousIs Sega’s attempt at staying “true” to the Aliens Franchise really worth it? Reviewing Aliens: Colonial Marines

The is Back!! The Aliens franchise has been through numerous sequels and mash ups and with the most recent origin story, Prometheus, the series has only become more forgettable. With Colonial Marines, it is now Sega’s turn to take up the banner of this once glorious franchise. Read on to know more about their attempts to make the audience sit back and take notice.

First off, I'd like to say that I miss the absence of ironsights in games. Just leveling your crosshair over a monster and pressing the fire button was satisfying, and made you feel like a badass. Nowadays, firing from the hip is a sure way to never hit your target if you use anything other than a shotgun.

That being said, I'd like to add another preface. I LOVE the Alien and PredatorFirst off, I'd like to say that I miss the absence of ironsights in games. Just leveling your crosshair over a monster and pressing the fire button was satisfying, and made you feel like a badass. Nowadays, firing from the hip is a sure way to never hit your target if you use anything other than a shotgun.

That being said, I'd like to add another preface. I LOVE the Alien and Predator franchises, and my first true 3D shooter (I don't count Doom as true 3D. It used 2D sprites) was Aliens versus Predator 2. I treasured that game. I played it over and over. When AvP 2010 came out, I almost messed my pants. I loved that one too, but not as much as AvP 2. The one thing those two had in common was the LACK OF IRON SIGHTS. Sci-Fi games that take place in the future shouldn't have iron sights. That mechanic is there to add a sense of realism to the game.

ANYTHING INVOLVING THE ALIENS FRANCHISE IS ANYTHING BUT REALISTIC. So why have ironsights in Colonial Marines? I didn't see anybody using a scope or sights in the movie. They all fired from the hip. So why inject a military shooter mechanic into a sci-fi/horror game? I'll tell you: To cater to the CoD jocks and Battlefield frat boys. I just need to say that this needs to stop. Some of us don't want realism or a cover system in our RPGs (Mass Effect 2 and 3) or iron sights in our sci-fi and horror games (Aliens: CM, Fallout: New Vegas)!

Anyways, that is my main complaint with this game. If there weren't any iron sights, this game would have earned an 8.5 in my books. A lot of people complained about the A.I, and when it comes to squad members, I totally agree. They are dumb as rocks. The Alien A.I wasn't as spotty as some professional game reviewers made them out to be. The lore states that the individual xeno is about as intelligent as an insect. Their tactics and cunning is derived from the Queen, and the further they are from her, the dumber they get. People were expecting that the xeno A.I would try to outsmart them, but the fact of the matter is, Gearbox got their behavior patterns spot on. I went into this game fully expecting the xenos to run blindly into my bullets one after another, in a primitive attempt to make me exhaust all of my ammo so I would be defenseless when the next wave attacked. Guess what? They did. I couldn't be happier.

The human enemies behaved typically enough. Run to cover, lean out, squeeze off a few shots, take cover, throw grenade if I'm in cover, move up closer, flanking, melee when I try to brain them with my rifle. Run of the mill stuff. Like I said: Typical. No different from any other FPS I've played.

Pre-Rendered cutscenes in Alies:CM suffered the same way the ones in Deus Ex: Human Revolution did. They were uglier than the in-game cutscenes and the developers could have made them better by using the game engine instead of the crap rendering they chose to use.

Now for the story and voice acting: The story had more holes than swiss cheese, and the only decent voice actor was Lance Henriksen, the original actor who portrayed Bishop and Bishop Weyland in the Alien and AvP movies. The rest of them sounded like they just got their certificate of completion from the acting class at the learning annex.

Finally, the gameplay. Action packed, sometimes suspenseful, moody as all hell, atmosphere was spot-on. Animations could have used a little more polish, but graphics were very pretty, even on low settings. Glitches weren't very frequent. A few clipping issues here, some A.I pathing problems there, spazzy ragdolls were present (always funny), but nothing game breaking. I didn't experience any crashes, even on launch day (yes, I pre-ordered) before the first patch release.

Weapons felt real, visceral, and powerful. Although there were a plethora of options to choose from, I found myself only using the Pulse Rifle and the Shotgun, only switching out when I ran out of ammo. That brings up a nice feature. Aliens:CM doesn't force you to choose only 2 or 3 weapons. You can switch out to ANY weapon you have unlocked at any time through the use of a quick-access wheel overlay without disrupting the action. I loved this feature the most, because it reminded me of AvP 2, where you could carry all of your weapons at once. Upgrading your weapons is a nice feature, but sadly, you can never upgrade your Pulse Rifle to carry 99 bullets per clip like in the movies and previous games in the Aliens franchise.

I never played multiplayer, but I heard its the only saving grace for this game.

My conclusion: Aliens: Colonial Marines could have been a great game. If there were no iron sights, it would have been a game worthy of Gearbox Software's legendary reputation. Instead, the game soiled it. Gearbox dropped the ball on this one simply because they felt the need to cater to the CoD and Battlefield fanboys. This title is worthy of a $25 dollar pricetag. NOT $60. I would only recommend paying full price if you are a die-hard Aliens fan.…Expand

Overall Aliens Colonial Marines is very bland and even boring at times. The graphics are very bad and the gameplay is pretty average. The story is uninteresting but the campaign has some pretty good moments. But multiplayer is where it's at. There are a few game modes to choose from and you can play as either the marine or the alien. Playing as the alien is very smooth and rewarding andOverall Aliens Colonial Marines is very bland and even boring at times. The graphics are very bad and the gameplay is pretty average. The story is uninteresting but the campaign has some pretty good moments. But multiplayer is where it's at. There are a few game modes to choose from and you can play as either the marine or the alien. Playing as the alien is very smooth and rewarding and the balance is very good too. And the maps are very well designed too.…Expand

So you can imagine my surprise when news finally came out that a video game billing itself as a genuine sequel to Cameron's "Aliens" was in development. Unlike most people who have relentlessly trashed "Aliens: Colonial Marines" since its February 2013 release, I feel that I'm somewhere in the middle. I at least thought it looked nice, and it was good to see some sort of continuationSo you can imagine my surprise when news finally came out that a video game billing itself as a genuine sequel to Cameron's "Aliens" was in development. Unlike most people who have relentlessly trashed "Aliens: Colonial Marines" since its February 2013 release, I feel that I'm somewhere in the middle. I at least thought it looked nice, and it was good to see some sort of continuation however sloppy to "Aliens." The story to "Aliens: Colonial Marines" basically details a war between the United States Colonial Marines and the Weyland-Yutani Corporation's private army of heavily armed hired mercenaries, who are illegally breeding the hideous Xenomorph creatures using captured Marines and innocent space colonists as hosts.

It all sounds exciting, doesn't it? But it does have many issues...…Expand

Aliens Colonial Marines is NOT a bad game. It's a solid FPS, with great atmosphere, and artwork. I love the whole system, really. There is a few problems, (for example: the ai is stupid sometimes, few bugs), but thats it! The graphics is okay, i dont care about graphics actually.
And on my low end system, it runs really fine.
I purchased from the store, and there is no regret in me.

This game...is strange. I suppose that everyone expects high results from the shooter, with crazy things happening. Well I did not. I was scared to death, I was inside the story, I understood what was going on, I liked the approach. I enjoyed the damn game. It has its downsides don't get me wrong, the AI lacks of intelligence and sometimes you feel to be in a frag fest rather than in aThis game...is strange. I suppose that everyone expects high results from the shooter, with crazy things happening. Well I did not. I was scared to death, I was inside the story, I understood what was going on, I liked the approach. I enjoyed the damn game. It has its downsides don't get me wrong, the AI lacks of intelligence and sometimes you feel to be in a frag fest rather than in a survival horror. But I liked it. It's like Duke Nukem, everyone wanted something badass...they gave us something badass and trashy as DUKE NUKEM is, it's just the taste of gamers that have changed. As they did with this title.

Multiplayer IMHO is to dump, just remain on the single player campaign and enjoy it.

This doesn't mean that if they did what they promised the game would have been SO MUCH BETTER.…Expand

This game gets way to much crap than it deserves because I enjoyed playing the game. But... The A.I. was god awful, the characters weren't that likeable, and the level design was repetetive and dull. But the game had some good qualities like amazing backgrounds, cool scenery, and pretty decent graphics and cool guns. I would give it a 5/10 (average/mediocre).

To me this game is average. The graphics sure are awesome, but the gameplay and the entire horor feel were not there. was it fun? yes at some points. but for the most part its call of duty but with aliens.

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view.
Fair to middlin' time for a bug hunt. Voice acting was abysmal, and the story had potential that it never reached. Only the Prometheus easter egg really lent any interest. Patches released post-release fixed the game and took it from a complete failure to a crippled mess. Whilst shooting and running from Aliens is a blast, its sad that the toy that came with the game as garnish is better than the game itself (if you pre-ordered the collector's edition).…Expand

Playing this game for the first time, knowing the story behind it, after the hype and the fuss has been and gone, is an interesting experience indeed. Looking at it from a gamer's perspective, irrespective of the hype or the overwhelming negative reviews, a lot of the hate for this game just seems to be arbitrary - having played it, I now know what it's like, and to be frank it's not allPlaying this game for the first time, knowing the story behind it, after the hype and the fuss has been and gone, is an interesting experience indeed. Looking at it from a gamer's perspective, irrespective of the hype or the overwhelming negative reviews, a lot of the hate for this game just seems to be arbitrary - having played it, I now know what it's like, and to be frank it's not all that bad. It's not a AAA game, but it's far from being a BAD game - matter of fact, Gearbox did a pretty good job given the short time frame they had to fix it up. The controls are solid, the gameplay's relatively entertaining, the only thing that irritated me was a glitch that caused the game to relaunch every time I wanted to quit it. In all honesty, if it weren't for the hype, I reckon reviews for this game would've been mixed to positive. It isn't a bad game. It may not be the best, but it isn't bad by a long shot. If you've never played it, but heard of its infamy, maybe you should give it a try - you might be pleasantly surprised.…Expand

i'll admit the campaign in this game was really bad, but have you played the multiplayer. i watched a lot of youtube reviews on this game and its all about the campaign, and they barely even mention multiplayer. The mulitiplayer on this game was insane fun, it was where the legit scary survivalness part of you kicked in because you had no idea where the xenos would come from, you had toi'll admit the campaign in this game was really bad, but have you played the multiplayer. i watched a lot of youtube reviews on this game and its all about the campaign, and they barely even mention multiplayer. The mulitiplayer on this game was insane fun, it was where the legit scary survivalness part of you kicked in because you had no idea where the xenos would come from, you had to use your motion tracker. but since this game bombed in reviews, it takes like 30 min. to find a game because nobody plays it anymore…Expand

I really don't know why everyone is **** about this game. This game is pretty decent, sure it's just another COD clone but it's not a **** one. I didn't play the other aliens so I am not an angry fanboy. the shooting works alright and the graphics are not bad but the story is boring as hell. This game is not good and not bad, its not special.

This game has lots of missed opportunities. Graphics are low (e.g. static lightning); shooting isn't great (the pulse weapon is seriously underpowered against enemy soldiers; you can't hold the machine gun steady and it can do only fire bursts of 3 bullets); the story is pretty much absent and the Aliens atmosphere isn't there. How could Gearbox fail so miserably? Only pick it up if theThis game has lots of missed opportunities. Graphics are low (e.g. static lightning); shooting isn't great (the pulse weapon is seriously underpowered against enemy soldiers; you can't hold the machine gun steady and it can do only fire bursts of 3 bullets); the story is pretty much absent and the Aliens atmosphere isn't there. How could Gearbox fail so miserably? Only pick it up if the game is on sale below 5 euro and even then you do them a favor. The user average sore of 3.4 is too low. It is a mediocre game but certainly not the worst one out there.…Expand

Decent. But not great. I can see why people are really upset with this game. It seems like a real waste of money for people who pre ordered it and got it day one. However, I don't think this is a bad game. It's a rushed and buggy game, but no I don't believe it's "bad". It's kinda like a fun little arcade shooter you can laugh at with your buddy's on a Saturday night after downing a coupleDecent. But not great. I can see why people are really upset with this game. It seems like a real waste of money for people who pre ordered it and got it day one. However, I don't think this is a bad game. It's a rushed and buggy game, but no I don't believe it's "bad". It's kinda like a fun little arcade shooter you can laugh at with your buddy's on a Saturday night after downing a couple of beers. I'll be honest I had a hell of a lot of fun playing this split screen with a couple of my friends one weekend. Gunplay is meh. Can be a little off at times. But one thing that stands out as horrendously bad is the power loader fight sequence and the constant screen tearing is absolutely god awful on the console version. I feel bad for people who got this for 60$ but I got it for 15$ and I think my money was well spent. If your a hard core aliens fan or just someone who wants to screw around with a cheap shooter that has fun multiplayer modes, get this. However I must say the dialogue and character models look and sound like poo poo. But damn the soundtrack is awesome. Not bad def recommend it.…Expand

I first believed all the haters and left the game behind. But after watching Prometheus on TV I felt ready to play A:CM and it was a good decision.

This Game is for all the people who were scared to much by Alien: Isolation. If you want revenge for all the scares in A:I this game is what you need. It's a straight forward Wey-Yu PMC and Alien slasher with good but not great graphics.I first believed all the haters and left the game behind. But after watching Prometheus on TV I felt ready to play A:CM and it was a good decision.

This Game is for all the people who were scared to much by Alien: Isolation. If you want revenge for all the scares in A:I this game is what you need. It's a straight forward Wey-Yu PMC and Alien slasher with good but not great graphics. The Complete Edition is fully patched and I never encountered any bugs or glitches. There are many references to the movies, fan service is guaranteed.

This game really isn't as bad as it was made out to be, though I probably wouldn't recommend it to most people. Granted, I hear it's had about ten gigs worth of patches since it released, and it looked and ran fine for me, so complaints of "hurr durr it looks like an original Xbox game" are no longer valid (the "infinite relaunch" bug aside) I can't speak for the differences between the E3This game really isn't as bad as it was made out to be, though I probably wouldn't recommend it to most people. Granted, I hear it's had about ten gigs worth of patches since it released, and it looked and ran fine for me, so complaints of "hurr durr it looks like an original Xbox game" are no longer valid (the "infinite relaunch" bug aside) I can't speak for the differences between the E3 demo and the game, either, there's obviously no excuse for outright lying to consumers and to Sega regarding who was getting paid for what, but I won't go further into that here. Suffice to say I don't like Gearbox as much as I like "their" games.

My experience with ACM is that its very similar to another maligned Gearbox title, Duke Nukem Forever, in that it was delayed for a considerable amount of time, could not possibly live up to the hype, and when it finally released, it was judged to be largely out of date. The third is partly true, in that it plays much like a 2000s-era shooter: You have sectional health that only regenerates the current segment, there are armor pickups, and you can carry every gun in the game: though you can only equip two long guns, a pistol and one grenade type at given time, and must use a radial menu to switch your equipped weapons.

Some other complaints about the game are valid: It suffers from some weak writing in parts, the AI on the whole is pretty damn stupid, and the combat has almost no variety: You're either fighting the xenomorphs or Weyland-Yutani mercs (or both at once) and both have limited attacks and tactics. It does get a bit stale. Also, Michael Beihn's reprisal of Hicks sounded pretty phoned in, though that could just have been his age. There's also a persistent problem with your AI teammates. While they can't die no matter how many times their dumb asses get shot, their bullets seem to do little to no damage to enemies, as if they were just background decoration and you are expected to shoot every ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ thing. The fact that the pause menu tracks your kills and assists attests to this. I got somewhere in the neighborhood of 50-90 kills per level and assists in the single digits. Even the HALO marines could ♥♥♥♥ing kill a few Covenant before they were overwhelmed.

However, what redeemed the game for me was the commnitment to recreating the look and feel of Aliens. According to the few positive reviews I read, ACM should only be played if you are a serious Aliens fan, and in that respect, I was not disappointed. The music is spot on, as is the environment designs, considering they hired the concept artist from the film to help design the levels. The weapons look and sound accurate, most notably the "xerox machine" sound that the pulse rifles make. Also, the fact that they bothered to get Beihn, along with Lance Henriksen, really helped the immersion, though I continue to disapprove of the use of celebrity voice actors. Perhaps if they hadn't gotten said actors, more money could have gone into the development of the game, the same way CoD could be, y'know, good, if they didn't have Gary Oldman and Ed Harris and ♥♥♥♥ing Ice Cube and ♥♥♥♥.

Suffice it to say, if i had payed more then $3.74 for this game, I might have been a bit ♥♥♥♥♥♥ off. But I knew what I was getting into and I stayed away from this game for a long time, until it was offered for a more appropriate price. If you like Aliens or singleplayer FPSs as much as I do, you could do much worse then ACM, as long as games like Chaser or Pariah exist. However, you might be better off checking out the 2011 game Aliens: Infestation on the DS, which is ultimately a superior title to this one.…Expand

Judging by the result, Gearbox could not handle the tremendous success of Borderlands 2. On the other hand, there’s this erroneous notion that franchises can exploit their name and are justified to produce mediocre titles for ever. Those two facts were enough to condemn Aliens: Colonial Marines. While it’s true that the console version is even worse, the competition in the PC shooter genre, is relentless. [April 2013]

Pelit (Finland)

Mar 15, 2013

68

I dared to hope, but was given a game so dull and average, that is an actual achievement itself. [March 2013]

Hyper Magazine

Mar 12, 2013

60

Not as bad as the wost Aliens games, yet it's also not in the same league as the very best, leaving ACM to meandering in the space system of mediocrity. [Apr 2013, p.69]